This conference aims to help us make peace with our death and, in so doing, find better  ways to live. The conference presenters will include a variety of experts and innovators  in their fields, including those who are steeped in Tibetan and other cultures,  those  trained in modern medicine, and those who work with the dying.  Together they will  examine the issues we must all face:  What is death?  How can our own death and the death of those we love be faced with courage and awareness?  Does consciousness  survive death and, if so,  what might we expect?  How can we best prepare?  And how can we work more compassionately and intelligently with the dying?
 
 
This event should help us see how death can become less frightening for ourselves and our loved ones.  It brings together outstanding figures in palliative care -- doctors, nurses, hospice workers, therapists, and bereavement counselors, with spiritual teachers possessed with profound and sophisticated approaches to death.
 
The fundamental revision of our approach to death is one of the most significant ways we can enhance our approach to life.
Please join us for this unique, informed and heartfelt exploration of a holistic approach to death and dying.

Please Note: You may register for one, two, or all three components in any combination. Discounts on accommodation fees apply to those attending both the Conference & Post-Conference Retreats or all components.

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed author and lecturer. Four of her eight books, including A Return to Love, and her latest, Everyday Grace, have been No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. She also founded Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves over 1000 homebound people in the Los Angeles area daily, and co-founded the Global Renaissance Alliance (GRA), a worldwide network of peace activists.

Robert A. F. Thurman, PhD, is professor of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University, President of Tibet House US., the translator of many philosophical treatises and sutras, and author of numerous books, including Inner Revolution, The Jewel Tree of Tibet: the Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism and, most recently, Why the Dalai Lama Matters.

The new group of staff for the 2010 retreat season has arrived. We’ve just completed 3 days of orientation and training with them. I am delighted to report that they are an exceptional group of people who are friendly, helpful and enthusiastic. They are all looking forward to being of service to our visitors, both new and returning guests.

Among our seasonal staff this year we have a private pilot who is also an ordained minister; a massage therapist who winters in Jamaica; a hip hop harpist; a party-in-the-box, spiritually creative explorer; an artist who paints super heroes; a guitarist; and an outdoor enthusiast.

Also, new to the Menla team is the addition of our caretaker Henry. Henry is an iron man triathlete. He has participated in over a dozen competitions. No maintenance task is too big or too small for him to handle.

This week we kick-off our retreat season with both an in-house, Tibet House US sponsored program and a rental group. Tibet House US/ Menla is hosting John Campbell, Richard Freeman & Robert Thurman for Buddha and the Yogis.

It is not too late to register for this program if you live in the Catskill region and would like to commute. There may still be a few beds remaining as well, so call to inquire.

The North West Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition is here for a gathering of social justice groups in New York State. Some of the organizations represented are Jobs with Justice, New York Immigration Coalition & Citizen Action.

Looking forward to meeting new friends and seeing returning ones this season!

Happy Spring!

For information regarding commuter rates please call (845) 688-6897.

Tania Robyn Cyrlin, Manager of Administration and Operations 4/14/10

Michael Burbank, Administration & Operations Assistant 4/6/10